Harry Potter and the Overlooked Princess
by DaniNatureGirl313
Summary: Persephone was the Greek goddess of spring. Spring is the season of rebirth, renewal, & redemption. A certain young witch was all that & more to her beloved, yet controversial father. You'll see Harry's story & world through her eyes, & you'll get to know a very different side of the Half-Blood Prince. (revamped to deal w/ typos & other adjustments)
1. Chapter 1

**Harry Potter and the Overlooked Princess**

_**AN: Besides the obvious, the only real differences in this story are some minor scene & line changes. The movies were somewhat ambiguous in terms of time & seasons, which was a great thing to play with.**_

**1****st**** year**

Ron had just met the nicest kid, a boy named Harry. He loved sharing stories about his huge, crazy family as they wolfed down sweets. He had to break off their conversation, though, since…well, he really had to _go_. Gosh, that train was crowded. The last thing he wanted was for any of the older kids to seem him doing that "special jig", especially not Fred or George. Finally, he made his way through a group of Ravenclaws who were probably in their fifth or sixth year, only to bump headlong into a much taller girl.

"Ow! Oh, oh, I'm so sorry…" He looked up tentatively, hoping he wasn't about to get slapped. A soft giggle was followed by "It's fine, little man." She helped him to his feet, and he briefly caught a quick glimpse of her straight jet-black hair. Still embarrassed, he didn't look up to meet her eyes. She jerked her head to a spot behind them and said, "The loo's that way." She then reached into the pocket of her jeans and put a piece of candy into his hand, telling him to "take a lolli for his troubles". Ron didn't need to be asked twice. He threw a "thanks" over his shoulder, tore the wrapper off and shoved the lollipop in his mouth, and bolted for the bathroom. Whoever that girl was, she sure seemed nice.

A few hours later, once he'd been sorted into Gryffindor and was jogging over to join his new housemates, he thought he spotted that same girl from the train again. Her face was towards the Great Hall. She sat at the front end of the Slytherin table, closest to the faculty dais, a few feet away from a certain black-haired teacher. He couldn't be too sure it was her, though, and he pretty much forgot all about her as the weeks went by.

From her spot behind him in the quidditch stands, Persephone watched her father suddenly stand up and begin stomping out the flames that had caught onto the corner of his cloak. Luckily, he was able to do it quickly, before they became too severe. "Dad, are you okay?" "Yes…yes, I'm fine." As he sat back down, she noticed how the teacher sitting nearest to them, Professor Quirrel, seemed to be extremely angry…but not out of concern for his fellow professor. How did she know this? Well, because the man in question had returned to staring out at the pitch, contempt quite obvious in his eyes as his gaze locking once more on young Harry Potter.

**2****nd**** year**

"I can't wait to watch your dad put Lockheart on his—" "_Hush_." Blaise Zabini swallowed back a whimper when his ribs were elbowed by his Head of House's daughter. Persephone watched as her father and the school's new Defense teacher walked across the small catwalk, showing wands and bowing to each other in the middle, before turning on their heels and going back to opposite ends. Minutes later, her eyes were wide as Gilderoy Lockheart went flying backwards, almost tumbling end-over-end from the catwalk. Blaise raised his eyebrow in a silent question. She nibbled on her lower lip before saying, "Well…okay, yeah, that was kind of awesome." "Kind of?" She giggled under her breath, giving him a second, much lighter shove in the side.

"'Her body will rot in the chamber forever?' Are you sure that's what it said?" "My eyesight isn't going _yet_, dear." Professor Snape strode over to his desk, took out a bottle of bourbon, and poured himself a glass. Lifting said glass to his lips, he then said, "Merlin, I hope they get little Virginia out of there before it's too late." The girl beside him sighed, patting his arm and saying, "You and me both, Dad. You and me both."

Earlier that day, Persephone Snape had leaned over a hot bowl of soup. She'd been asked by Madame Pomfrey to watch over the infirmary while the nurse-witch attended a staff meeting. This wasn't the first time she'd done so, and it probably wouldn't be the last. Currently, the seventeen-year-old was having her lunch while sitting next to the bed of the latest petrification victim, a bushy-haired second-year girl named Hermione Granger.

**3rd year**

"Geez, Daddy, what happened to you?" "Ask _Potter_!" She watched as her father all but dragged himself past her, before collapsing in exhaustion onto the couch in their private quarters. Almost every visible part of his skin was covered in small bruises and scrapes. It looked like he'd been in some sort of fight. And when he told her the full story, about his confirmation of how Remus had been helping their old schoolmate, Sirius Black, to hide and enter the castle, Persephone realized how close she was to the truth. "So, Harry _actually_ hexed you? I mean…he _really_ had the nerve to do it?" Resting his head on his right fist, he replied, "I think my ears will be ringing for a week." She giggled. "It's not funny." He then let go a huge sigh, rubbing the space between his eyes as he said, "I honestly don't know why I expected any different. Defending a person when they're so far from deserving of it, no matter how dangerous that other person is…so stubborn, reckless, and arrogant…he's _just_ like his father.

Persephone simply rolled her eyes, walking the familiar path to her father's cupboard and asking fearfully, "So…I take it that certain arrangements have been made in regards to Sirius?" "The dementors will perform the kiss at midnight." "Do the authorities know about…?" "No, they don't. Worry not. I kept my mouth shut about Lupin's role in all this, as well as his _condition_. He'd best remember this kindness…and be respectful of it." "You mean he should kiss up to you." She fought back another giggle when he huffed.

When she got back to her father's side, she sat down next to him and told him to take off his jacket so she could see his injuries. After unscrewing the lid of the ointment jar, she dabbed a cloth into it, turned to face him, and said, "Now, I don't think I need to tell _you_ that this is going to sting." "_No_…you really don't."

**4****th**** year**

"Who's _that_, Hermione?" Sitting at the breakfast table, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger turned and looked at one specific area of the great Hall. Standing there was the school's most controversial teacher, in deep conversation with a black-haired girl who looked to be in her mid to late-teens. "That's his daughter, Persephone." Ron, who's been focused on his porridge up until that point, suddenly chimed in with, "_Snape_ has a _daughter_? You're bloomin' _joking_." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Where have _you_ been, Dolly Daydream? We've heard about her from Professor McGonagall, remember? And we've seen her around the castle several times over the past four years." "Yeah, mate, didn't you say you met her on the train our first day here?" He turned to Harry, shrugged, and said, "I wasn't sure who she was back then."

About a minute later, Hermione told them, "The ministry gave him special permission to educate her privately, away from Hogwarts. Some say he did it to avoid people at the school accusing him of being biased. Others say it was to protect his reputation. Personally, I don't know which story to believe." The trio then returned focus to the young girl in question, noticing her eyes were as light as her hair was dark, in perfect contrast to each one another. Ron mumbled, "Looks like she's about our age." "Looks can be deceiving, Ronald. She's actually nineteen."

Not long after that was the Yule Ball. Hermione sat on the castle's main staircase, crying over her argument with Ron. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves. As she watched Neville and Ginny walk to the refreshment table, a familiar girl swept past. Her long black hair was pinned up, with two curls left down to frame her face. Wiping her eyes, Hermione walked to a nearby corner and peeked into the Great Hall, watching the young woman.

Persephone's gown was beautiful: strapless and mint-green with white lace details, clearly in the Victorian style. A tattoo could be seen on her left shoulder, but few people dared to look closely enough to see it. The reason for that was the man she was walking towards, her father. She stretched her hand out to him, and Severus gave a barely-noticeable smile as he stood up and went with her to the dance floor. Everyone's eyes were on them as they waltzed to a familiar muggle song, recognizable as the Who's "Behind Blue Eyes". Back then, nobody knew how true the words of that song would one day come to be for their potions master.

The tournament ended on an extremely sour note. Persephone was present for the final task. She watched in horror, along with everyone else, as Harry appeared out of the maze. The boy was sobbing, clinging tightly to a motionless Cedric Diggory. Dumbledore was the first to reach the fourteen-year-old boy's side to comfort him, and a few other adults were quick to follow suit. "Dad, wait! Stop." "No, darling, stay back." Snape placed his right hand on his daughter's shoulder, repeating in a much softer tone, "Please…stay back."

She did as he asked, remaining in the stands as he walked out onto the grass and lightly touched Dumbledore's left arm. Cornelius Fudge ran out to join them, mumbling about "too many people" before confirming everyone's worst suspicions: "A boy has just been killed." Then, Amos Diggory barrled his way past everyone, running out onto the field and falling to his knees beside his son's body. "That's my son! That's my boy! My boy!" His agonized, mournful wailing brought everyone who wasn't already crying to tears, including the platinum-haired boy standing next to Persephone. She put her right arm around him, gently squeezing his shoulder in comfort and whispering, "It's going to be okay, Dragon. It _has_ to be." Draco covered her hand with his own, mouthing the words "I hope so." They both knew the outlook wasn't good, especially when they saw Snape wince, his right hand suddenly flying up to clutch his left forearm. His gaze shifted up, and his eyes locked with his daughter's, a look of understanding passing between them.

**5****th**** year**

Harry looked up at hearing the muffled sound of a knock on the door downstairs. Silent as he could be, he crept from his borrowed bedroom in Grimmauld Place, moving to the top of the staircase. Looking down over the railing, his suspicions were confirmed: Snape was paying the Order a visit. But he wasn't alone. His daughter was with him. Over the past few days, Harry had been thinking about his previous years at Hogwarts, which in turn led him to thoughts of the mysterious Persephone. He'd even asked Sirius and Remus a few questions on the matter.

Remus didn't say much, only, "Daughter though she is, she often acted more as a mother figure to Severus. Heaven knows, he needed one, given the trials that befell his _actual_ mother." He then went on to say, "Her patronus is a tiger, and I truly believe she's one on the inside, as well. It's increasingly rare to find a girl that loyal, or as fiercely protective of their loved ones as she is of hers." Meanwhile, Harry's godfather told him, "To be honest, I don't really know much about them, outside any involvement with the Order. She's a nice girl, though, I can tell you that much. Tough as nails, too. Her mum, Natalie, was the same way, bless her. She was another old schoolmate of ours, but came in two years after us. She wound up in Hufflepuff, and it wasn't hard to see why if you knew her well."

Sirius paused a minute before continuing, "Natalie and Severus never married. But from what I could see, they seemed to care deeply for one another. Still not sure I'd go right to 'love' on it, though. I mean, you know…he _loved_ her, but he wasn't 'in-love' with her. They'd reconnected during his time working for Voldemort, right as his career with the Death Eaters was starting to wind down and he'd become a double-agent. It was never meant to go as far as it did, and they were actually planning to end the relationship. But somewhere around that point, Natalie realized she was pregnant. When Voldemort learned of their connection, Snape had to lie and say the girl was a pureblood. An illegitimate one, but a pureblood, nonetheless."

Harry took a seat at the dining room table, saying as he did so, "But she wasn't a pureblood, was she?" "No, my boy, she wasn't. She was muggle-born, like your friend, Hermione…and like your mum. Come to think of it, they sort of _looked_ similar, too, with only a couple of minor differences. Natalie Hall had fiery red hair, but it was really curly. She had freckles all over her cheeks and a Yorkshire accent as thick as the day was long. And her _eyes_, the most beautiful blue-green eyes I'd ever seen on a woman. She passed them on to their daughter, it seems. She died from an allergic reaction when Persephone was ten, and the girl was put into the care of relatives until the age of fifteen, when she permanently moved in with her father.

As Sirius stopped to take a sip of tea, Harry asked him what happened to Persephone after all that. "Severus was a constant presence in her life. He never let her forget who her father was, or how much she meant to him. Even with all the flaws he has, and we both know there's a fair few…I don't think he's loved anyone like the way he loves her. He _couldn't_. Not after…" "Not after _who_, Sirius?" The older man simply smiled and patted his shoulder, telling him, "Don't worry about it, kiddo. It's not important right now."

**6****th**** year**

Sirius was dead….gone forever. Harry still couldn't believe it, even as he shuffled into the diner and slumped down into one of the corner booths. He wanted to read the paper, but he didn't have the exact amount of change needed to buy one. With his head resting on his left fist, he stared hard out the window nearest to him, zoning out. The actual time wasted was only a couple of minutes, but it felt like forever. He was suddenly pulled out of that by a hand on his shoulder, jolting out of his foggy state of mind and instantly turning to face a vaguely familiar set of bluish-green eyes. The intense focus of her stare gave her away: Persephone Snape. "Hello, Harry. It's good to formally meet you…to finally talk to you directly." "Um…Y-Yeah. Likewise."

As she took the seat directly across from him, she asked how he'd been doing. "I know it's been rough for you…you know, ever since…" "I know. And yeah, it has." She put her hand over his, saying, "Harry, I can't possibly tell you how sorry I am over what happened. I know my dad and Sirius butted heads a lot, but…I still counted him as my good friend. He could tell great jokes...always knew how to make me laugh, whenever Daddy brought me with him to Order meetings. He used to call me Periwinkle, though I never knew if it was a play on my name, or on the color of my eyes." When Harry smiled, she continued, "I loved them all dearly. I still do, even though my heritage dictates that I…that I must do and say things I truly don't mean." He understood what she meant. Like her father, Persephone was a spy inside Voldemort's camp. But in her heart, she was a loyal member of the Order of the Phoenix.

They stayed like that and talked a few minutes, mostly about things they'd seen on television. Harry said, "You know, the few times I've seen you over the years, I always…I always thought of you as this…mysterious figure." "You make me sound like one of the Hogwarts ghosts." They both giggled. Persephone mumbled over the edge of her coffee cup, "I'm not my father, Harry. I'm much more open with my emotions than he is." She took another sip before continuing, "I trust you'll get to understand that fact much better this year, during the times when I'll randomly pop in to the school for a visit."

Then, she suddenly froze, as if sensing a change in the air. Seeing Harry's confused expression, she told him, "You won't be alone in this place for much longer, I promise. I have to go now, but…perhaps _this_ will tide you over until that certain company comes." She ended that sentence by taking a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ from her coat and placing it on the table in front of him. "I'm done with it. Enjoy." Giving him a tiny smile and a pat on the shoulder, she walked outside. She only looked back once, into the distance, just in time to see Harry leave the diner with Albus Dumbledore.

A few short months later, Harry and Persephone met again, this time under very different circumstances. She'd been visiting the school in time for a special, but quiet, celebration. On the night of her father's birthday, they were having cups of hot cider in his office and discussing a point from the novel she was currently reading. All of a sudden, Snape looked over his shoulder. A growing commotion could faintly be heard outside. He instantly stood up and strode over to the door, throwing it open to leave. "What's wrong, Dad", she asked. He only looked back once, just long enough to tell her, "Stay here. Just…stay _here_, child." He then walked off, down the hallway quicker than she could blink. It took all of five minutes for Persephone to decide to ignore his warning and follow.

She walked down a certain corridor, careful to avoid wandering teachers or students. There was a chilly wind starting to blow, an ominous feeling permeating the air. Her heart danced a jig in her chest. Something big was happening, and she senses it wasn't good. Once Persephone had reached the astronomy tower, she was surprised to find Harry already waiting there. However, he wasn't looking at her, but straight up. She watched from the shadows as her father gave the classic "be quiet" gesture, silently placing a single finger over his lips, before walking up a small flight of stairs. Peeking over Harry's shoulder, she listened intently as the conversation above them played out.

She heard the angry, but obviously terrified voice of her dad's godson. She and Draco had been quite close over the years, a fact that the boy in front of her was well-aware of. Harry briefly glanced over his shoulder at her, whispering in shock, "Perseph-" "Shh", she said, pointing upward twice in indication of where they should be focusing. They both watched as Albus Dumbledore said pleadingly, "Severus…_please_." Then, Persephone's jaw dropped in pure horror as her father spoke the most unforgiveable spell of them all: "_Avada Kedavra_." A tiny, quick flash of green light shot across the small area, and one of the greatest wizards of all time tumbled from the tower balcony. As Snape, Draco, and the Death Eaters started coming back downstairs, Harry took off in another direction, pushing around Persephone with an anxious and massively angry-sounding "Out of my way!" She jogged after him, calling, "Harry! Harry, wait! Wait up!"

They ran from the castle, out onto an open field where the Death Eaters had gone to after doing whatever secondary damage they'd planned. Persephone cringed as she heard Fenrir's deep, throaty chuckle. She also heard Bellatrix's maniacal, cackling laugh as the woman destroyed everything in her sight. She'd been subjected to that laugh more times over the years than she cared to remember. She was having a hard time keeping up with her friend, but he didn't stop to care. Harry only had eyes for one many, and he shouted after him, "Snape! He trusted you! Fight back! You coward, fight back!" He then called out a spell Persephone swore she'd only heard of once in her entire life, when she was about four years old: "_Sectumsempra_!" As she reached the top of a certain hill, Bellatrix was already walking away, after Snape had told her that the boy before them "belonged to the Dark Lord". Most of the other Death Eaters were a good distance away, which was great for not letting them know she was there. Harry was on the ground, her father pointing his wand directly at the center of the teenager's chest as he said, "You _dare_ use my own spells against me, Potter? _Yes_…_I'm_ the Half-Blood Prince."

That was a nickname Persephone knew well, one that she recalled had come from his mother's maiden name. It was why he'd often addressed her as "princess" when she was a child. Tears were now pouring down her face as she rushed to help Harry to his feet, before taking a few quick strides in the direction Snape was going. The Death Eaters were all gone by then, giving her the perfect chance to call out, "Daddy! Daddy, how could you?!" He paused mid-step, turning to face her with a dejected look on his face. He seemed frozen in time, torn between following whatever mission he'd been assigned to, and rushing to comfort his daughter. "How could you?! How could you, Daddy", and she called out one last time, much stronger than the others before, "How could you?!" Her name was a regretful whisper on his lips. He said softly, "I'm sorry, my dear. Everything will be explained soon enough." With that, he disapparated.

She followed Harry back to the castle, bursting into tears a second time when they reached the main courtyard. The body of Albus Dumbledore lay sprawled out on the grass nearby, with his wand a couple of feet away, and his glasses thrown forward onto his beard. She watched Harry collapse to the ground beside his former mentor, gingerly lifting the man's upper body into his lap. Persephone, however, was too frozen to do much of anything, her knees remaining locked in place.

Seconds later, the students and staff began pouring from inside the castle, all equally shocked and horrified at what was before them. Respect and solemnity spread across their faces, tears somewhat silently pouring down. When Ron and Hermione spotted Persephone there, each gave her a tiny smile of acknowledgement. They weren't the only ones to notice her, though. Lavender brown, one of the slightly-younger students and Ron's ex-girlfriend, looked in her direction and screamed out angrily, "What is _she_ doing here? How do we _know_ she's not _in_ on this?" Not missing a beat, Persephone shouted back, "Go to _hell_, little girl!" That response stunned Lavender into silence, but the twenty-one-year-old wasn't quite done, continuing, "_I_ make my _own_ choices! _I_ control my _own_ destiny! This _darkness_ does _not_!" She gratefully accepted the comforting arm of Professor McGonagall, and she began softly sobbing into the older woman's shoulder.

Once everyone's cries had died down a bit, they all raised their wands as a final tribute to a great man. Stars sparkled in the clear night sky, which would've been so beautiful under different circumstances, yet now was anything but. The eerie glow of the Dark Mark as it hovered above the school tainted everything else around it. There were very few casual words exchanged and Dumbledore's funeral a few days later, least of all from Persephone Snape. She knew, just as everybody else did, that her life had now been irrevocably changed. But unlike many of the others, she had so much more at-stake in all this than they did.

**7****th**** year-part 1**

It seemed to take forever for Persephone to fall asleep. Molly Weasley had told her, "You've nearly run yourself ragged, dearie, trying to help me with the Order. You need to rest." The older witch had eventually offered her some calming draught, saying it would help ease her into a nap, which by this point was definitely a much-needed thing. This was the night the Order was going to rescue Harry from Privet Drive. But ironically, it wasn't because of his nasty relatives.

It had become known that the Death Eaters were supposed to be going to the house that night to kill the boy. Always-clever Mad-Eye Moody was one step ahead of them, however. Persephone should know. She'd helped him brew the polyjuice potion he'd taken with him as part of his plan, a skill that came naturally when one's father was a master of the subject. Swallowing back the emotions that came with thinking of her dad, she curled up on the Weasley's big comfy sofa. She was just barely drifting off, when a series of very loud pops suddenly woke her up. She shoved her way past Remus and Tonks, running outside and placing a comforting hand on Molly's shoulder. The other Order members, half of them disguised as Harry Decoys, were apparating onto the lawn.

When Harry, himself, arrived with Hagrid, the group's mother-figure told them, "Thank goodness you two are alright." Persephone threw her arms around her friend, half-crying "We were so worried" into his shoulder. Hagrid gently patted her upper back, softly saying, "It's okay now, Seph." Then, all hell seemed to break loose. When the twins got there, it was clear they didn't both make it one piece. Fred was helping George limp his way towards the house, the nineteen-year-old bleeding from a wound on the side of his head. As she helped George be lowered onto the same couch she'd just been resting on, she fought back a gasp when she realized that his left ear was missing. Fred explained that there had been an ambush by the Death Eaters, and that one of them sent the curse that had so severely injured his twin.

Fear instantly sank in. It had been a long while since Persephone had seen or spoken to her father. As a child, she'd seen his old clothes from that time…oh no. After making sure George could manage a few minutes alone, she followed Fred into the bathroom, where he was getting the bandages. Nervously, she asked, "Did he have brown eyes? The Death Eater who attacked you, did he have brown eyes?" Her friend didn't answer here right away, scaring her even more. "Fred…come on, mate, tell me…did he have brown eyes? _Tell_ me." On those last two words, she grabbed his shirt collar and shook him almost violently. "Tell me _right_ _now_, you son-of-a-gun! Tell me _now_, did the Death Eater who attacked you have brown eyes?!"

Knowing what she was getting at, he placed both hands on her shoulder and said calmly, "I don't know for sure, Seph. Everything was moving so fast, and it was so dark. I didn't have time to check through the holes of the mask to see his eye-color. None of us did. I know it's not much in the way of comfort, but it's the truth." Swallowing back tears, she apologized for screaming at him and gave him a hug, before following back into the living room where she helped him bandage George's wound.

The ear incident wasn't the only loss endured that night. Harry mourned the loss of his beloved pet owl, Hedwig. And a couple of days later, they held a special memorial service for Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. Rough though the man was, Persephone still cared for and respected him a great deal. He could be very sweet when he wanted to, especially towards the girls, once telling her that it came from how he'd been raised. As the final prayers were said, she cast a quick glance up at the sky, hoping beyond hope that none of the Death Eaters involved had brown eyes. She didn't know how she'd take the news if she learned that one of them did.

Exactly where Harry and his two friends had gone, few people had any ideas. It wasn't really surprising that they didn't go back to school for what would've been their final term. After asking around a bit within their group of friends, Persephone learned of Voldemort's teen obsession with making Horcruxes. It explained everything, why the three seventeen-year-olds had suddenly vanished. She had to keep track of them, if anything, to make sure they stayed in-touch with how the Order was doing after the attack at the Weasley family wedding. Since she'd been ill at the time, she'd sent a card and some flowers to the happy couple, receiving a grateful thank-you note in response.

Persephone decided to rent a cabin on the edge of a forest, thinking it would be a great base to operate out of. She kept her tiny television and radio on constantly, listening for any possible news. But most of what she heard was lies and slander, made up by people somehow connected to the Death Eaters. She still hadn't seen or heard from her father since the night of Dumbledore's murder, and to be honest, she wasn't exactly sure she wanted to. She'd heard through the proverbial grapevine that he'd taken over as the new headmaster of Hogwarts, but that was all she learned. It was getting extremely close to Christmas time when she made the choice to move camp. "Okay now", she thought, "Where would Harry want to go? Where might his mission take him next?" She already knew the level of respect they held for Godric Gryffindor, and how one of the items they needed was his old sword. The small village that bore the man's name was thus a likely place for them to travel, especially given its personal significance for Harry.

Finding an inn to stay at was shockingly easy. She unpacked her stuff, but felt too antsy to simply stay in her room. So, she decided to take a walk. Christmas lights were strung up all over the place. Persephone could hear the sounds of laughter, coming from a couple of nearby restaurants and a pub. Music was pouring from everywhere, too, from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra version of "God, Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", to the equally-loved duet of David Bowie and Bing Crosby. A light dusting of snow was coming down, and she stared in wonder as the puffy clouds of her exhaled breath swirled it around. Then for no reason, a strange kind of instinct told her to look to her right, towards the local cemetery. Two teenagers were in there, standing over one specific gravestone. It didn't take much for her to put two and two together, especially when a tiny glint of light told her the boy was wearing glasses.

She waited for them by the front gate. To say that Harry and Hermione were shocked to see her was an understatement. Pulling her scarf away from her nose, she smiled shyly and said, "Hey, guys." They exchanged happy hugs before Harry asked how she'd managed to find them. "Just call me the female Sherlock Holmes, my friend. It was all a matter of deduction." When he laughed, she told him, "I honestly just wanted to make sure you were okay. I wanted to tell you that the Order is still intact, and…" It was at that point she noticed someone was missing. "Where's Ron?" Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "Mr. Smarty-Pants started an argument and took off. We haven't seen him in a while. We're both starting to get worried. "Argument? Why? What happened?" Harry reached under his shirt, taking out a large antique-looking locket. "He left because of this. It's a Horcrux. It belonged to…a mutual acquaintance of ours."

She shuddered at the memories. Nobody wanted to have grown up with a snake-human-crossbreed as a part of their lives from such a young age. She told them, "Well…all I can say is that I'll pray for you guys. Ron will come back soon enough. He's just being stubborn. From what I've heard, that's not exactly new." Another eye-roll was followed by, "No, unfortunately not." An awkward silence set in for a couple of minutes before Persephone checked her watch and said, "Well, at least, I know you're alright. 'Dinner', if you want to call it that, starts back at the inn in about twenty minutes. I'll contact the Order and give them an update. Checkout is tomorrow at eleven." More hugs and kisses on the cheek were exchanged before they parted ways.

However, instead of going directly back to the inn, Persephone took a couple of minutes to pay respects to a couple she only remembered meeting twice. It felt so weird to be standing over the shared tombstone of Lily and James Potter. A small wreath of white roses sat in front of it, and she smiled sentimentally as she realized who must've put it there. Letting go a huge sigh, she said, "Hey there. I know it's been probably…just about a couple of decades since the last time we saw each other, but I want you both to know that…I've never stopped thinking about you. Daddy hasn't, either. His patronus is still a doe, Lily."

She giggled at the awkwardness before continuing, "In all seriousness…a new war is indeed coming, and judging by the way things look now, its end will probably be decided before this next year is out. What happened to you, and to so many other people…it _will_ be avenged. Don't worry. Harry _will_ put an end to that monster forever, and he'll have a lot of friends who love him in his corner to help him do it, myself included." After using a quick spell to create a sprig of holly atop the tombstone, she blew the Potters' spirits a kiss and wished them a "Happy Christmas" before leaving the cemetery.

It wasn't until Persephone was back in her rented room that she realized something was wrong. As she was settling down with a good book and a lollipop, she briefly glanced out her window…and what she saw was all kinds of terrifying. Thick, black plumes of smoke were streaking across the sky, and they were all heading in one specific direction: Death Eaters. They weren't sent out en masse like that, unless there was a very valuable target already chosen, and there was only one possible high-value target in Godric's Hollow that night: Harry. A horrified squeal escaping her lips, Persephone ran to the window and looked out, panic setting in when she saw more smoke coming from a house in the distance. She remembered seeing Harry and Hermione following an old woman in that direction, but she never thought it would turn out like this.

Frantically muttering repeatedly, "Oh no…oh no…oh no…" she strode back across the room and grabbed her cell-phone from her purse, calling the fifth number in her speed-dial log. "Oh, come on. Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up, pick—" "Hello?" "Remus, it's me. Look, we've got trouble…big, _huge_ trouble." "W-What do you mean? Calm down." "There's no _time_ to be calm. Death Eaters were in Godric's Hollow tonight!" She heard the panic in his voice as he asked, "Are you certain?" "I couldn't be any more certain than right now. I _just_ saw them go past the window of the room at the inn I'm staying at." "What are _you_ doing there?" "When I heard that Harry and his friends didn't return to the school, I had to make sure they were okay. I had a feeling he'd be here, especially since it _is_ Christmas. I didn't think this-" "Of course you didn't think this would happen. Nobody _plans_ this kind of thing in their head, Seph."

She smiled at hearing her nickname before saying, "I just…I j-just hope they got out of there in one piece." "You and me both, dear." He paused a minute, sighing before he continued, "Well…I'll report back to the Order about what you've learned. We've got people here tracking Harry, too. Like you said, all we can really do…is hope." "Yeah. Speaking of the school…oh gosh, I can only imagine what Dad's doing there. Those twins he's working with have probably ripped it apart up, down, and sideways. Who knows what's going on in their heads?" "Personally, I think the students there were probably more shocked when you didn't turn up at Severus's side." "Well, maybe…" The mood changed a bit, and Persephone could Remus's caring smile through the phone. He told her, "Get some rest. I'll assume you've had a very trying day." "Oh, you have _no_ idea." He chuckled under his breath, and she said, "Hey, listen, tell everyone there I said 'hello', alright? And give Tonks a hug for me." "Will do. Take care, dear. Keep in-touch." "Of course…on both counts. Bye." "Bye." After turning off her phone, she collapsed onto her rented bed, rubbing the space between her eyes in the hopes of staving off a rapidly-forming migraine.

Just when she thought she was finally going to be able to doze off, a loud whooshing sound came from her room's fireplace, jolting her out of her semi-sleep. Jumping to her feet, Persephone's eyes widened when she saw who was standing there. Her voice seemed to fail her, coming out in a breathless, shocked whisper of, "Daddy…" Snape slowly emerged from the shadows, his face looking more tired and world-weary than she'd ever seen it.

Suddenly, her wits returned, and her anger overweighed her surprise. "What are you _doing_ here?" Reaching out for her, he started to reply, "It's Christmas Eve, child. I _couldn't_-" "No, no, don't touch me. Don't _touch_ me." She wriggled away from his attempted hug, striding quickly to the other side of the room. "How did you find me?" "Do you _really_ need to ask? You're my _daughter_. I can sense your thoughts before _you_ do." Right…his strength with occulmency. It was a talent she, herself, had been working on as well, not that she was prepared to discuss that with him now. Rolling her eyes, she said, "Look, Merry Christmas, okay? _Happy_? Now, get out." "Persephone…dearest, please..." "_No_. I'd rather _not_ speak to a man who _murdered_ his father-figure." "Pers-" "Didn't you _hear_ me? I _said_ get out, and I _meant_ it. Get out." He looked heartbroken, like he had so much to say but couldn't. Not moved in the slightest, she shouted again, "Get _out_!" Walking back to her fireplace, Snape sighed and told her, "I trust we'll be seeing each other again shortly." With that, he was gone.

` Completely drained, Persephone fell to her knees, curling up into a ball on the floor and crying. She was ashamed to admit it, but a small part of her did want to rush over and hug her father. It was pure instinct, but her outrage over his actions pushed all that aside. "Daddy…oh gosh, Daddy…what have you done?" And he wasn't the only factor to worry about. Whatever she'd thought could happen in this gathering storm, it was so much bigger than anything she'd ever thought possible, and she had no clue of what was coming in the near-future. It was this same uncertainty that weighed down on her as she fell asleep later that night, a sleep that was anything but deep and restful.

_**AN: I'd been extremely tired when I first published this, which led me to do a typo overhaul. I hope you liked this new version. Please, be kind in your reviews. Feel free to tell me of your favorite section &/or line, & then tell me why you liked it. The second part to this, showing Persephone's involvement in "DH2", will be up soon enough.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**7**__**th**__** Year, Part 2**_

_**AN: This was originally going to be one extremely long chapter, since all the action happens in one movie. However, given the fact that it is so long, I've decided to break it up into separate chapters. Consider the part before this (years 1 through 7-part 1) as a setup for Persephone's personality. **_

**Chapter 1: the End Begins**

"He's adorable. I'm so happy for you." Persephone was smiling as she rocked the infant Teddy Lupin in her arms, while his mother fondly looked on. She felt honored to have been chosen as the boy's godmother, happily knowing Harry had been named as godfather. "Was the pregnancy too difficult?" "No, not at all", said Tonks, "In fact, it was most my feet and lower back. No morning sickness, thank heavens." The girl was passing the baby back over when the backdoor suddenly burst open. "Remus, what's wrong? What's happened?" The man in question had been in the home's disguised backyard, listening to radio updates. He rushed over, kissed his wife, and said, "I just got a message. Harry, Ron, and Hermione passed through Aberforth's house not an hour ago. They and a few hiding students took a secret passage into the castle." "So, you mean-" "Yes…it's starting. We need to go tonight." "I'm going with you." "No, darling", and he kissed her forehead before finishing,"—you need to stay here. You'll be much safer here."

Persephone leaned back against a nearby wall, beginning to nibble on her fingernails. This would be the first time in many months she'd see her father again. She didn't know what to think or how to feel, and she was positive the people currently around her could feel the tension, radiating off her body. Everybody in the room kept casting nervous glances at each other. This was it—the big moment they'd all been waiting for…the ultimate moment of truth.

It took about fifteen seconds for the remnants of the Order to reappear in a new location…a very dark and damp location. "Where are we now, Remus", Persephone asked. "This is one of the many secret passages I know of that leads directly into the castle. James, Sirius, and I…well, we used to partake of them quite often in our rowdier days." "Right…when did those days stop again?" He chuckled under his breath. "Oh, hush. This one is actually brand-new, created within the last year. It and one other are the only two tunnels not collapsed in, or being monitored." The group walked the rest of the tunnel's length in relative silence.

As they walked along the open, somewhat breezy hallways of Hogwarts, Persephone was amazed at how nobody seemed to rush out and try stopping them. Were any of the other Order members using protection spells she didn't know about? She certainly couldn't sense any being cast. Ron, Hermione, and a couple of others present gave her encouraging smiles, which she returned. Eventually, they arrived at the huge doors to the Great Hall. They were all able to hear one clear, deep, authoritative voice on the other side.

Persephone got choked up as she listened to her father, strongly urging in a threatening tone for the students to turn over Harry: "Many of you are wondering why I've summoned you here at this hour. It's come to my attention that earlier this evening, Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade. Should anyone, student or staff, attempt to aid Mr. Potter, they will be punished in a manner most befitting. Anyone found to have knowledge of these events, and does not come forward, will be judged as equally guilty. Now then, if anyone here has any knowledge of Mr. Potter's movements this evening, I invite them to step forward…_now_." Persephone forced herself to swallow back her emotions, know that now wasn't the time for them. Remus noticed the look on her face and reached over, giving her right hand a quick, reassuring squeeze. She smiled back in thanks when he let go. Another of the wizards behind her softly mumbled, "Here we go." "I couldn't have said it better", she replied.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of shocked whispers, likely over Harry's appearance, staring to radiate their way around the Great Hall. Then, like from some unseen cue, the opening of the doors perfectly coincided with the boy saying, "It seems that despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster. And I'm afraid it's quite serious." Taking a deep breath, she strode into the Great Hall with the rest of the Order, almost in a marching way.

Somewhere to her right, the equally familiar voice of Lavender Brown met her ears: "Hey, that's Persephone. Why is she here _now_? Why…she really _is_ on our side." By the time they'd stopped walking, the twenty-two-year-old was standing barely a foot away from the teenage girl. She turned and said softly, "Let's save that for another time, okay?" A mouthing of "I'm sorry" was followed by an even softer whisper of "It's alright. I've moved past it." Meanwhile, Harry was yelling at his former teacher, over Dumbledore, of course: "How _dare_ you stand where he stood?! _Tell_ them how it _happened_ that night! _Tell_ them how you _looked_ him in the eye, a man who _trusted_ you, and _killed_ him! _Tell_ them!" As she turned her attention back forward, it was suddenly much harder to keep her composure. Why? Well, because the Carrow twins were staring directly at her. So was her father.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Division…**_

_**AN: I know this one is a bit short, but I'm letting the amount of action contained within determine the length of each chapter.**_

His face…she could barely tell what he was thinking. From what she could wager, it was probably some mix of fear, sadness, extreme regret, and pride. The moment was broken when he raised his wand and pointed it at Harry, obviously offended by the boy's remarks and preparing for an attack. Out of the gathered crowd, Professor McGonagall stepped forward to protect the seventeen-year-old. A couple of spells were exchanged before ricocheting made the Carrows fall unconscious. Snape seemed to realize he wasn't going to win, appearing frozen in place as he once more locked eyes with his daughter. Persephone could barely speak, only croaking out the word "Dad" as thin rivers of barely-noticeable tears poured down both of their faces. He quickly mouthed what appeared to be the words "sorry love you", and she responded by placing a closed fist over her heart. After nodding and forcing herself to give a tiny half-smile, Snape waved his wand again and disapparated out the window. The students all burst into a cheer.

Persephone sniffed back more tears, wiping away the ones that had already fallen. While busy with that, she felt the sudden weight of a hand on her shoulder, and she turned around to face Ron Weasley. The boy gave her a small, comforting smile, which she returned as she patted the back of his hand. Hermione said, "I'm sorry. I know how hard that must've been for you, Seph." "It's alright. It wasn't unexpected. People always make sacrifices in wars like this." Then suddenly, everybody dropped to their knees in pain as a loud squealing sound echoed through the whole room. A voice started wafting through their minds, one that Persephone knew all too well: made one of his usual threats, giving the school community a certain amount of time to turn over Harry, or else he'd destroy the castle. He said that would bother him greatly, but many doubted that was actually true. When all that stopped, a single voice broke the silence. A girl from Slytherin house, named Pansy Parkinson, urged everybody, "Quick! Someone grab him!" Persephone groaned and shook her head at the teen's sell-out faithlessness. A small group gathered in front of Harry to protect him.

Then Mr. Filch came through the door in his trademark wobbly run, screaming that students were out of bed. Professor McGonagall was quick to put him in his place. But when he blushed and looked down, mumbling an apology, she walked towards him and informed him that "his arrival was most opportune". She then told him to take the entirety of Slytherin down to the dungeons, which earned a second cheer from the rest of the crowd. Persephone disagreed with that treatment, knowing that it came from a biased place. She'd always believed that a whole bunch couldn't be blamed for the actions of a few bad apples, but she also knew no one would be willing to listen right then. The older witch exchanged a few brief words with Harry, telling him to do whatever he needed, and that she and the other teachers would put up spells to protect the school.

Just as Slytherin was about to leave, Persephone raised her hand and said, "I'll go with them, Minerva. As the old saying goes, two heads are better than one." The older woman told her, "Do be careful, dear." "I will." "Keep your wits about you." She just smiled. I'll be okay, Harry." Placing both hands on his shoulders, she told him, "You said that the last two Horcruxes were in the castle, yes?" "Yeah." "Just take care of them, alright? Don't worry about me. I'm a big girl, and I come from tough stock." She took a few steps back, but was suddenly stopped by a familiar hand grabbing her wrist. Remus spun her into a tight bear-hug, urging her to "stay safe" like everyone else was. She kissed his cheek and promised that she would, waving a quick good-bye to him over her shoulder as she vanished around the hallway corner. She didn't know it yet, but that past half-hour would be the last time she'd ever see her father, or her surrogate second father, alive.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Ultimate Losses…**_

_**AN: The Battle of Hogwarts kicks off, and so do the tragedies.**_

It didn't take long before attacks on the castle began. Persephone could sense the Death Eaters' presence outside on the grounds, and it was a certainty that Voldemort was with them. Like many times in the past, she felt grateful to not be sporting the same branding as they did, as her father did. She'd avoided that long ago through use of her inherited silver tongue, saying that their cause's mark would only give her away as a sleeper agent. At the time, Voldemort had laughed and naively praised her cleverness, patting her on the back before moving on to a different conversation. From across the room, Snape kept staring at her, seeing right through her lie. All that flashed through her mind in less than a second as chunks of plaster fell from the ceiling. One of the sixth-years from the group with her, a boy named Todd Reagan, shouted, "Persephone, go! Just _go_! It's _okay_! We'll be _fine_!" "Are you sure?" "Yeah, yeah, just _go_!" Taking his advice, she ran off down a nearby hallway, using spell after spell to deflect falling debris.

Eventually, she wound up in an area near the library, where she literally collided with another familiar face. "Draco, what on _earth_ are you doing here?" He couldn't give a complete answer, frantically babbling as he attempted to explain himself. Trying to soothe him, she hugged him close and patted his back, softly saying, "Shh, shh, relax. It's okay. It's okay." The normally stoic young man cried into her shoulder, "My…my parents…I've got to find them. You know I'll…I'll have to go with them. I'll have no choice. I _never_ have any choice. Never did." "I know. Truly, I know. And trust me when I say that I understand. I love my father more than words can say. But occasionally, both as a kid and sometimes now, I hate feeling bound to the choices he's made. It's scary. I feel like the world is blaming _me_ for things _he's_ done. I mean…look, you heard what Lavender said, months back as well as minutes ago. You think I'm not _used_ to that? Most people in the magical community _cringe_ when they hear my last name. I'm accustomed to it by now. I've learned to deal with it. Only ignorant people will punish you for learning to do the same. If necessary, I'll say something to them, okay?"

As they moved apart, she patted his shoulder, once more asking if he was alright. He nodded 'yes'. "Be careful, Draco. There's been enough loss already today." Then, he did something totally unexpected, leaning in and kissing her cheek before running off. The old teasing came rushing back to her: "Aw, look at the little guy…he fancies her…so cute." She was quick to brush those memories aside.

Dodging falling chunks of debris soon became the least of Persephone's problems, as she soon came into contact with something far, far worse…the bodies of dead students. One in particular caught her eye, and for some reason, it affected her a tiny bit more than the others. Lavender Brown lay sprawled out near a broken-off piece of wall, her eyes glazed over and staring straight ahead, her wand less than three inches away from her outstretched open hand. Her throat and shoulder had several deep puncture wounds, a clear indicator of a werewolf attack. Kneeling down, Persephone growled out the name "Fenrir" under her breath, her hand shaking as she closed the fallen girl's eyes and placed her wand inside her jumper. She folded Lavender's arms across her chest and lifted her up, carrying her back to the Great Hall and placing her on the closest available cot. She made a few silent gestures to one of Madame Pomfrey's nearby assistants, indicating that the person she'd brought was no longer alive. She watched with a lump in her throat as the girl's face was covered with a sheet.

She was about to leave, when a loud cry somewhere behind her drew her attention. A cluster of red-haired people were gathered in a corner on the far side of the room: the Weasley family. Persephone immediately started walking towards them, prepared to ask what was wrong, but a horrifying sight to her left made her freeze mid-step. She'd mostly kept her composure until that moment, but seeing the lifeless bodies of Remus and Tonks placed beside each other, hands almost touching but not quite there…it nearly made her keel over. Her jaw dropped open, and her hand flew up to cover her mouth as a loud, terrified squeal escaped. She'd just…it was impossible. Breathless, she gasped out, "I just hugged him not too long ago. He…T-They _can't_ be…_no_." She wasn't surprised at all to see Tonks there, not in the least. That woman was so courageous and loving. There was no way she'd have let her husband go off into this battle alone, regardless of what he'd told her to do.

A strangled cry of "Seph" echoed somewhere near her. Before she could fully turn around, Ron Weasley embraced her in a tight hug. His mother, Molly, joined him seconds later. Still in shock over what she'd just seen, she stumbled over the words, "They're gone. Th-They're…they're r-really g-gone." Molly's tears soaked into her shirt collar as she replied softly, "We know, sweetheart. We know." Persephone knew crying like that didn't result from mere sympathy. As she pulled away from her friends, her arms still slightly around then, she sniffled and asked, "Who is it. Who's hurt?" Ron could barely speak, simply choking out, "It's Fred." "How badly was-" She wasn't able to finish her sentence, because the normally vivacious boy in front of her burst into a fresh round of tears and shook his head. She pulled him close a second time, letting him sob into the curve of her neck. Over his shoulder, she could see his dad, Arthur, cradling Fred's body in his lap. The man was running his fingers through his son's hair, repeatedly kissing his forehead. Poor George looked inconsolable over the loss of his twin, too frozen in traumatized shock to move. He barely even flicked his eyes in Persephone's direction when she called his name.

Slowly recovering herself, she pulled away from Ron and Molly, telling them that she needed to go search both the castle and the grounds for more victims. "I need to see who else may be hurt…or worse." Molly, sweet as ever, cupped the side of Persephone's face, kissing the tip of her nose and replying, "It's alright, dearie. Go do what you have to do. We'll still be here." The girl's voice then dropped to a lower pitch: "Please…see that you are." The implication was clear, and the older woman gave a sad smile as she nodded her head. Softly whispering "I'm so sorry for your loss", Persephone gave a quick kiss to Ron's forehead before turning on her heel and leaving the Great Hall again.

_**AN: I hope you liked the little hinted-at budding romance between Persephone & Draco. Get the Kleenex ready, if you feel you need to. In the next chapter, Seph is going to have something new in-common w/ the Weasleys...something really, really bad.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**An orphan now…**_

_**AN: Losing a parent is never easy, especially not under the circumstances Persephone was facing.**_

Persephone Snape thought she'd seen it all by that point. Three of her closest friends had been killed in the last couple of hours, and she'd carried several bodies into the Great Hall, later to be claimed by their families. However, nothing else on the planet could've prepared her for what she was about to endure. Knowing more bodies or injured people could be anywhere, a strange voice in the back of her mind urged her to go outside, to follow the path that led to the boathouse on the edge of the Black Lake. A part of her liked to believe that it was the voice of Remus, Sirius, or even possibly Dumbledore himself, guiding her from beyond the grave. Mid-jog, she said softly under her breath, "I miss you guys already."

It seemed to take forever for her to reach her destination. She walked through the old, battered front door, stopping only a couple of seconds to catch her breath. She'd been there a few times as a child, always with her father. As she walked down a small hallway, she thought she saw Harry and Hermione run quickly past her. Ron was with them, but she didn't know when or how he'd gotten there so quickly. None of the trio responded when she called after them, and she briefly wondered what could've possibly sent them off like that. However once she turned her head back around and entered the main room, all thoughts of that nature went out the proverbial window.

Persephone froze when she saw another body, this time an adult, leaning against a wall on the side of the room the three seventeen-year-olds had just left…another lost person she'd have to take back. But as she got slowly closer, she realized that what covered the body was not a thin piece of white linen. It was a piece of much thicker black cloth…a cloak, not a sheet. Only one teacher at Hogwarts wore clothes like that. She repeatedly shook her head, mumbling breathless, panicked denials. Her knees grew increasingly weaker until she finally collapsed, not caring that she had to crawl through blood to get up next to the body. Then, she pulled the cloak down from the person's face…and let out an almighty scream. Everyone in the immediate area, no matter how distracted or busy they may have been, more than likely heard her.

Using what precious little strength she had left, Persephone dragged her father's body across her lap, cradling and rocking him as if he were a sleeping baby. She cried more than she ever had in her entire life, her sobs loud and painful-sounding enough to rival those of a banshee. "Daddy…Daddy, no…no, no, no, no…Daddy, no…" She knew her friends would never just carelessly leave him here without a good reason, which meant he must've told them something extremely important before passing away. She briefly wondered what it could've possibly been, before then taking note of the large bleeding gash in his throat, as well as the other scratches and puncture wounds all over the visible parts of his body. These marks left no doubt as to the identity of his killer.

She'd known that snake for a good portion of her life. Voldemort had once again used his beloved Nagini to do his dirty work, though she couldn't wager a guess as to why. Anger flooded her body, which made her start to shake. Briefly letting go of her father's body, she jumped up and strode over to the doorway, shouting at the top of her lungs, "If you can hear me out there, when you face that monster…give him one from me, Harry!" With that, she returned to her original place, falling back to her knees.

Persephone closed her father's eyes with a trembling hand, repeatedly kissing each eyelid as well as his forehead. She held his body tightly to her and snuggled the side of his face, kissing his temple as she gently cradled his head to the curve of her neck. She cried and screamed as she thought back over recent events with extreme regret. "Daddy, I'm so _sorry_! I'm _so_ sorry! Please…please, come back! Come back, Daddy! Come back! I love you so much…so much, Daddy! Daddy, don't leave me! Come back, please! Don't leave me!" She knew she couldn't stay there with him forever, though, as much as a part of her wanted to. Her friends would be wondering what happened to her. Sighing heavily as she gave one last kiss to his forehead, Persephone struggled to her feet and used a spell to levitate her father's body, walking back to the castle in slow, shaky numbness.

_**AN: I tried to make this particular scene mirror that now-famous shot of Alan Rickman, holding Lily's body in "DH2". Please, be kind in sharing your thoughts.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Shockwave…**_

When Arthur Weasley heard the doors to the Great Hall open again, he was truthfully expecting the worst, and a form of it was what he got. He stood there, wide-mouthed and wide-eyed, as Persephone Snape walked back in, her father's corpse floating above her. A soft, shocked "Oh, my God" escaped him. Most everyone else in the room stopped whatever they were doing and stared. The look on the girl's face was pure heartbreak, her teeth slightly bared as tears poured down her cheeks. Her eyes met another's. Her lower lip trembling, she said, "My father's dead, Art." Taking a deep breath, she then said loudly, "Voldemort killed my father!" For once, no one was willing to correct her for directly using the dark wizard's name. They really didn't care anymore.

He rushed forward, taking out his wand to help her lower the body to a cot. Persephone collapsed onto the one beside it. She grasped her father's cold left hand and held it tenderly against the side of her face, trembling as she kissed the knuckles. Arthur went to one knee in-between the cots, softly asking, "Do you know how this happened, Seph?" "You really n-need to ask, m-my friend?" With a gentle swing of her arm, she gestured to the body and said, "_Look_ at him!" The man did as she told him, sighing when he saw the throat wound, as well as all the telltale bite marks and bloodstains. The scars on his own throat tickled in remembrance as he mumbled "Nagini" under his breath.

The rest of the Weasley family immediately rushed over, trying to give her a comforting embrace. "No, no, guys. Don't. I mean…I a-appreciate what you're trying to do, but…but it r-really doesn't matter right now." "Yes, of course, it does", said Ginny, "We all had our issues with Professor Snape, some issues much, much bigger than others. But he was still your dad. That counts for something." Molly chimed in with, "She's right, sweetheart. You have _every_ _right_ to mourn your father, just the same as the rest of us. We butted heads constantly throughout the years, but I do know that he loved you…so very much." The other brothers all helped Persephone to her feet, each taking a turn to put a consoling arm around her, patting her upper back. She quickly glanced around, asking if any of them had seen Harry, Ron, or Hermione. George told her in a weak voice, "Where you _think_ they are? They're searching the castle for the last remaining horcruxes and trying to destroy them. They've been gone for a while. Then, he suddenly looked up as two of the three teens in question came through the Great Hall doors.

Hermione said, "Two down, one to go. We got the cup, and through some…hectic circumstances…Harry took care of the diadem." Persephone knew what she was talking about" a fire in the Room of Requirement, during which they'd been forced to rescue Draco and his friends. She'd run into one of those boys earlier, who'd told her the story. Wiping her eyes, she noticed the fearful expression and took a sudden, sharp breath in, asking, "What's wrong?" Ron told her, "Harry went into the Forbidden Forest…to face Voldemort alone." "No. N-No, he _can't_." "He _can_, and he _did_. We all heard the nutter, talking and making threats in our heads." She'd heard that stuff, too. But for obvious reasons, she had to ignore it.

Hermione glanced to her left, averting her eyes just as quickly upon seeing Professor Snape's body. A soft "I'm so sorry, Seph" escaped her lips. She waved the younger girl off, saying, "It's okay. Really, it is. I've—" Her voice cracked, and she took a minute to recover. Molly rubbed her shoulder in sympathy, which earned a tiny, weak smile in return. Sniffling deeply, she continued, "I've got a few other things to take care of before I can worry about…b-b…burial ar-rangem-ments." Everyone around her nodded in agreement. She then clapped her hands together and said, "Well, let's get a move-on here. There's still a battle to win." "Not thinking twice or paying attention, she jogged out of the Great Hall, mumbling loudly, "I can't stay here another minute, and she headed off to whatever confrontation awaited around the corner.

Persephone ran around the castle like an Olympian around an obstacle course, taking on anyone and anything she came across. The scariest moment came when she faced a dementor. Her voice deepened, dropping in pitch to sound eerily like her father's as the words "Expecto Patronum passed her lips. A quick flick of her wrist caused the large, mist-made figure of a tiger to appear from the tip of her wand. For her happy memory, which was also one of her earliest ones, she thought of the first time her parents took her to an Order meeting. She was five years old then, and she was so happy over getting to play with the children of the other members. Even after the dementor went away, she was still almost losing herself in the image. She recalled a certain mahogany-haired woman, smiling at her as she handed over a piece of candy, her stomach greatly swollen in pregnancy: Lily Potter. James hadn't been there, because he was sick. Persephone hadn't told Harry this story yet, but she vowed to once the battle was over.


	7. Chapter 7

_**High Gear…**_

_**AN: Things are heating up.**_

Eventually, she wound up back near the castle's entrance, stopping mid-jog when she saw a rather large group coming up the hill into the courtyard-proper. Ducking behind a pile of rubble, her eyes widened when she saw who was in the front: Voldemort himself, smiling as he led the way for his merry little band of followers. Persephone spotted Bellatrix right away, at her master's side as usual, his right-hand woman. "What a lovely couple", she mumbled sarcastically. Draco's parents were to his left and somewhat off to the side. She recognized another few of the key Death Eaters, from all the times she'd played double-agent with her father, but it was the last thing her eyes landed on that nearly made her burst into tears. No…no, it wasn't _possible_…it _couldn't_ be…but it _was_. Harry lay seemingly dead, cradled in the arms of Hagrid, who was both the groundskeeper and the professor for Care of Magical Creatures.

By now, the uninjured students and teachers were emerging from the castle, all clearly exhausted and emotionally drained. Poor Ginny was frantically saying, "Who's that? Who's he carrying?" Voldemort then made the dreaded announcement, which was accompanied by screams as well as victorious laughs. He smiled as he gleefully said, "And now, it's time for you to declare yourself." Lucius Malfoy spotted his son in the crowd and called him over, almost desperately. Narcissa did the same, a true protective mother. Draco flicked his eyes sideways at Persephone, mouthing the words "I told you so". She mouthed back, "I know. It's okay." He walked over to join his parents. Neville then stepped forward, talking about how losing Harry shouldn't affect their resolve: "He's still with us…in here." He pointed to his heart.

Everything moved at breakneck speed after that. Harry rolled himself from Hagrid's arms and jumped to his feet, instantly starting to fire off his wand as Voldemort gave chase. The groups ran toward each other, spells flying from both sides. Before any of the Death Eaters could spot her, Persephone bolted back into the interior of the castle, thinking of all the inured who needed protection. Her hair had mostly falling out of the ponytail she'd put it into that morning, and a sharp pain kept stabbing her in her lower left side. She mumbled under her breath, "Memo to myself…must have a discussion with Madame Pomfrey later."

She pushed those thoughts aside when she saw one familiar face, attacking another. Luna Lovegood was backed, quite literally, against a wall. She kept trying to raise her wand, but the way she was positioned made that extremely difficult. Her attacker, dear Bellatrix, was smiling at the girl's distress, giggling whenever she'd flinch. A sharp gasp drew the woman's attention. "Sephykins…I didn't see you there." Persephone forced herself to smile back, mentally groaning over the hated nickname. Trying to will back the pain in her side, she reluctantly obeyed the call to "Come closer, dear". It was all she could do not to shudder in disgust as Bellatrix embraced her in a side-hug and, worse still, kissed her cheek. "My, my, how you've grown. I'm sure your daddy is very proud."

Did Bellatrix truly not know what had happened, or was she just being her usual nasty self? Persephone was more inclined to believe the second reason, but there was little she could do about it. Luna tried to use the brief conversation as a distraction and run, but she was quickly pulled back. "Ah, ah, ah, little one. No need to be rude and leave so soon." She really enjoyed the torture she was putting the poor child through. It made Persephone all the more glad that she'd been born _after_ her father had seen the error of his ways. It would've broken her heart to see him, attacking with the same joy as the woman beside her. Then again, she wasn't quite sure whether or not he'd ever actually enjoyed being a Death Eater. They'd never discussed it before in great detail. Thinking of him brought fresh tears to her eyes, but she quickly forced them back when a loud, piercing cry suddenly drew her attention.

The quick succession of whimpers and sharp screams evoked certain dark images, ideas of what her poor father must've gone through because of Voldemort's beloved pet. Persephone Snape would have no more of that in her presence. A soft, but defined warning of "_Enough_, Trixie" went ignored, the use of her childhood nickname for the older witch falling on deaf ears. More's the joy for her. When Bellatrix threw Luna against a wall, ready to deliver the killing blow, Persephone silently took out her own wand, holding it straight and steady as she shouted "Expelliarmus" at the top of her lungs.

Voldemort's second-in-command went flying across the small area, landing at the bottom of a large staircase. Knowing there wasn't much time, Persephone turned to the shaken blond girl and begged in a loud voice, "Run, Luna, _now_! Run!" The seventeen-year-old did as asked, nodding as she picked up her wand and half-ran/half-limped away, only glancing over shoulder once to ask, "But what about you?" "Just go! I'll be fine! I promise!" Luna then disappeared around a nearby corner. Persephone was about to do the same, when a strained voice groaned out, "You'll be fine, eh? You be _fine_…" The soft cackling chuckle that followed those words drew her attention…


	8. Chapter 8

_**Persephone Strikes Back…**_

Bellatrix struggled to her feet, giving a demented skip in the younger woman's direction. "You know, Sephykins…the Dark Lord always liked you. Yes…yes, he _favored_ you…you and Draco both." "Leave Draco out of this!" Her words went ignored. "You two were like his little protégés, the children he didn't have…you, especially. He always said that he relished the power of women, how we could be so much more ruthless than men, if the occasion called. And _this_…is how you repay him?" She clicked her tongue, wagging her finger as if correcting a misbehaving toddler before continuing, "I think he'd be very ashamed of you to know the truth, how much of a _traitor_ you really are…so _disappointed_." "I've _never_ cared what Voldemort thinks! I want nothing more to do with him! He's taken the most precious thing in the world from me!"

Taking a deep breath, she raised her wand and said, "He's hurt me for the last time, as have you!" A light growl escaped Bellatrix as she mimicked the twenty-two-year-old's action. Briefly closing her eyes, Persephone screamed out, "This is for you, Dad!" Their spells met with a mighty explosion, sparks raining down all around their feet. It seemed forever that she held on, her strength coming from a place she wasn't even aware of. Just when it looked like she was going to falter, a smirk from Bellatrix gave her new resolve. Whispering "I love you, Daddy" under her breath, she gave one final surge of power, and she was finally able to throw back the older witch.

A tiny piece of her enemy's spell did ricochet, however, taking out a decent-sized chunk from a nearby pillar. This managed to slice a graze along the left side of Persephone's face, stretching from the mid-part of her jaw to the start of her ear. She howled in pain, the force of it making her stumble back slightly. A black ring briefly formed around her vision, but she fought hard against it. She watched weakly as Bellatrix took off in another direction. Panting hard, she recalled her earlier words to Molly: "We've got a battle to win here", as she jogged back into the fray around her.

Persephone could feel the ground rumbling under her feet, and effect of the concrete soldiers roaming the grounds as they defended the school. She could see them through several nearby windows, most facing off against trolls. Thinking of the kind, wise witch who'd come up this idea, she blew a kiss out one of said windows and softly whispered, "Bless you, Min—" Her well-wish was cut off, however, when the woman in question ran through her line of vision, directly on the other end of the hallway. They froze as their eyes met, when suddenly…"Minerva, behind you!" A Death Eater had come seemingly out of nowhere, ready to strike down anyone in his path. The attack was fended off with ease. Just outside the window behind them, a large plume of black smoke zoomed past, drawing their attention. Persephone breathed out a heavy "What was that", but a quick glimpse of a brown suede jacket gave it away: Harry and Voldemort locked in their epic duel.

Persephone crossed herself in silent prayer for her friend's safety and success, turning back around when her name was called. "What?" Professor McGonagall told her, "Just go, dear. Don't linger." "Are you sure?" A loud crash nearby answered that question, and she waved to the older woman before running off, giving a loud groan as another sharp pain nipped in her side. Her heart was making her blood pound in her temples, but she couldn't set aside time to care. All she kept thinking was "Do it for Dad. Do it for Dad." Leaping up one staircase, bolting down a random corridor, she hexed everything that tried to attack her. At one point, her wand had actually gotten knocked out of her hand, and she'd had to resort to hand-to-hand combat. That didn't scare her in the least. In fact, it was a skill she'd honed quite well over the years, a product of her chaotic upbringing. Yes, as well as being a powerful witch, Persephone was also a strong street fighter. She'd had to be, for similar reasons to those of her father. It's hard to not grow up quick and tough, when you don't know who in your world is for or against you.

By now, Persephone looked like an extra from some old Roman epic film. Her normally-silky was a complete mess, and there were some tiny tears scattered around her clothes…not to mention all the smudges of dirt, bloodstains, and injuries she'd sustained up to that point. She'd been caught off-guard by two Death Eaters, both of whom she knew fairly well. She gave them a smile and walked past them, pretending to be nonchalant. She waited until they were a short distance away from her, before pivoting on her heel and sending stinging hexes at them. An old belief of Alastor Moody's flashed in her mind: "You _never_ curse someone when their back is turned!" However, she also knew he was a firm adherent to the phrase, "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

After a while, she paused in a seemingly empty hallway to catch her breath, leaning on a pillar for support. Her racing heartbeat did nothing for her headache, just as her starving lungs only made worse the pain in her side. She'd been trying to ignore it for the past several hours, but that was getting harder and harder to do. To top things off, the left side of her short-sleeved red peasant blouse's collar was now stained with blood, which came from the cut on her jaw. She reflexively went to touch it, but pulled away at the last second. Looking down at the fingertips of her left hand, she could still see the faint pink stains of _someone_ _else's_ blood. That same blood had soaked into the front of her jeans from the knees down, and there was another stain around her right shoulder. They'd come from similar wounds on the person dearest to her in the world. A part of her liked to believe that it was giving her courage and strength, but her mourning side was winning out. The memory of her father's eyes, which once sparkled with secrets like lake-water in moonlight…to see them glazed-over and lifeless…it was just too much.

Persephone quickly covered her mouth with the back of her right hand, stifling the squealing sob that nearly escaped her. Of course, that did nothing to help her injuries, and she felt yet another pinch in her side. Rolling her eyes in a mix of exasperation and pain, she put her wand sideways in her mouth and used her now-free hand to slowly lift up the left side of her blouse. She sucked in a sharp breath when she saw them: two reddened stripe-like marks, running horizontally and parallel to each other. They seemed to be getting worse by the minute. It was a lucky thing that her wand was now in her mouth, because it helped muffle the wince that she made when she gently touched the edges of one. She groaned and mumbled "Probably cracked a rib", a strange sniffling noise suddenly drawing her attention. Her pain forgotten for the time being, she took her wand from her mouth and started walking again, going down the hallway that the sound seemed to have come from.

Since this particular corridor seemed to be a bit darker than the others, Persephone used the power of a quickly whispered "Lumos." The whimpers got steadily louder the further down the hall she walked. The light from her wand was strong, but it didn't travel a great distance, so she was forced to rely mostly on her ears. She kept tapping walls with the opposite end of her wand, looking for any possible indications of hidden rooms. Finally, she got her answer, after nearly tripping over a chunk of fallen debris. Her groan of frustration was met by a muffled reply of, "What was that? Do you think they heard us?" Her head shot up: students in danger. She called out in a semi-loud voice, "It's alright! I'm not here to hurt you. Just please…please tell me where you are!" She then heard more muffled voices, seeming to be in an argument: "No, keep your mouth shut!" "She wants to help us!" "But how do we know she's not—"

By then, Persephone had found the source of the voices. Leaning against a certain wall, she said, "Look, it's _me_, Persephone Snape. My father's been killed. I'm injured, but I'm still trying to find survivors to take back to the Great Hall. Please…may I come in? I _really_ need you guys to let me in." Another voice said, "Oh, it's okay. I know her. Open it up." The small portion of wall moved and revealed a group of ten students, who'd found sanctuary in one of the school's many hidden supply closets. Quickly scanning the tiny area, she noticed that only two of the kids appeared too old to be first-years. Both were girls, one from Slytherin and one from Gryffindor: "Juliet Morris, fourth year", "Drina Marsden, third year." Juliet kept her lighted wand close to her face, its glow illuminating the emerald-and-silver badge on her jumper. Meanwhile, Drina had removed her tie and was using it like a headband, the crimson-and-gold stripes standing out against her dark chestnut hair.

Persephone was greeted with a couple of warm smiles from the kids, as well as a pat on the shoulder from Juliet. Judging by what her father had told her over the past few years, this girl was one of his best potions students. In fact, he'd said the girl had such promise, that he believed she'd one day grow up to fill his old spot at the school. Strangely, he didn't' seem to mind that. Sniffing back the tears thinking of him brought, Persephone clapped her hands once and forced a smile, saying, "Okay, so…introduce me to everyone else. What are your names? Let's go by house." Like she'd thought, the rest of the students were first-years. Besides Juliet, there was one other Slytherin there, a girl named Theresa Harper. Drina had the company of fellow Gryffindors Noah Reynolds and Professor Trelawney's nephew, Kenneth. Ravenclaw was represented by Brynn McCann and Hadrian Turner, while Hufflepuff had Gordon Fitzgerald, Stewart Gillian, and Annabeth Leslie.

As they started walking, Theresa, who was the shortest of the group, tapped Persephone's arm and asked, "So…the headmaster is really dead? I mean…we've lost another one so soon?" "Unfortunately, yes. Vol—the wizard who caused all this murdered him." "How?" "You sure you want to know?" The girl looked deep in thought for a moment, wrinkling her nose before giving a nod of confidence. In a very matter-of-fact tone came an answer of, "His throat was ripped open by that psychopath's pet." A couple of the kids had been trying to listen in, and their faces all visibly paled at the image she'd just given. After a short while, Theresa than said, "It's too bad. I kind of liked him." Those words made Persephone pause mid-step. She _what_?

Very few students, if any, said the actually liked her father. Well…at least, not openly. He didn't do much to make people like him, and he knew that without caring. "Um…w-what makes you say that, especially after what's been happening?" "I know what he did. I'm not stupid. I just…something occurred recently that made me see him a little differently." "Oh? What was that?" "Well, I was heading to the bathroom between classes one day, and I passed _another_ bathroom I knew was reserved for the prefects. As I walked by it, I thought I heard someone crying. I wanted to see if I could help, so I peeked a little in the door. And what I saw—Headmaster Snape, kneeling on the floor with his head in his hands, practically sobbing his eyes out—I don't think I'll ever forget that. Something terrible was clearly on his mind, and he didn't want anyone to see him venting over it. Thinking it was best if he was left undisturbed, I left the area before he could notice me." Persephone nodded as she sniffed back a tear. That definitely sounded like something he'd do. In fact, she'd found him in similar positions many times over the years.

She'd cast _Muffliato_ by now, so she knew the rest of the group could no longer hear them. She listened as Theresa continued, "That night at dinner, I couldn't help staring at him. I mean, most of the kids were, anyway, but _they_ looked _angry_. His eyes still appeared quite red, and there were dark circles forming under them…like he hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in a long time. His head was resting on his fist, obviously trying desperately to prevent it falling to the table from his exhaustion. Our eyes met across the Great Hall, and they held that way for a couple of seconds. I just sighed. I don't know why, but I mouthed the words 'so sorry'. He didn't do anything in response, besides continue to stare at me in confusion. Later, I passed him in the hallway as I walked back down to the dorm. You'd think I'd be intimidated by him, since he was so much taller than me, but I wasn't for some strange reason. He stopped me and asked, 'Sorry for what?'" Persephone giggled at the first-year's imitation of her father's voice. It was actually quite a good one.

"I apologize for that. Go on." "So, I told him I was 'sorry for a lot of things', and he held my gaze for a minute, like he was trying to read my thoughts. I knew he wasn't, though. There's supposed to be a special spell for that, right? Anyway, he just gave me a quick pat on the shoulder, sighed, and said, 'You are more perceptive, intuitive, and understanding than most children your age are supposed to be. Much more so than others are willing to give you credit for, Miss Harper.' He just walked away after that. I never brought it up again, not with my friends, not with anybody. Although, every once in a while, I'd catch him looking at me. He appeared almost grateful, in a way…like he was happy not everyone here thought he was a monster. Someone who's confident and pleased with their actions doesn't behave like that, no one that _I_ know of, anyhow." "And that's why you say you like him", Persephone asked. "Well, that's part of it, I guess. I knew he wasn't typically a nice person, but there's more." She paused a minute before finishing, "Only real men cry." The twenty-two-year-old nodded in understanding and mumbled, "So, so true."

_**AN: That very last sentence, I firmly believe is true. There's nothing wrong w/ guys showing emotion. In the next chapter, the battle will thicken even further. Persephone will go into protective mode, & she'll endure 2 more major confrontations. I hope you're liking this so far. Let me know, okay? And please, please, be nice.**_


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